In re the Arbitration between Ulster County Sheriff's Employees Ass'n, CWA Local 1105 & Ulster County Sheriff's Department

**Sheriff's Department Must Include Correction Sergeants in Promotion Exam** This case involved a dispute between the Ulster County Sheriff's Department and its employees' union over who could take a promotional exam. The sheriff's department held an exam in 2009 for assistant warden positions but excluded correction sergeants from taking it. The union argued this violated their collective bargaining agreement, which is the contract between the union and employer that sets workplace rules and benefits. An arbitrator (a neutral person who resolves workplace disputes) ruled in favor of the union, finding that the sheriff's department had indeed violated the contract by keeping correction sergeants out of the exam. The arbitrator ordered that the 2009 exam results be thrown out and a new exam be held with the correct eligibility rules. When the sheriff's department appealed this decision to court, the judge upheld the arbitrator's ruling. **What this means for workers:** This case shows that employers must follow the promotion rules written in union contracts. If your employer excludes you from advancement opportunities that your contract says you're entitled to, you can challenge this through your union and potentially get the decision overturned.